Northern MN Birding: Part 3

After success with finding a Northern Hawk Owl on January 3rd and Gyrfalcon on January 4th we decided to spend the 5th heading north in Lake County looking for Spruce Grouse, Boreal Chickadees, and Black-backed Woodpeckers then heading to Sax-Zim Bog on the 6th for Great Gray Owls and whatever else we could find.

Day 3: January 5th  

We left early in the morning amidst a stiff breeze and colder weather than the previous two days. We were at the desired location on Lake County 2 at first light as Spruce Grouse seem to be most easily found picking grit along the road early in the day before logging trucks become common. Unfortunately we did not have any luck in the first hour and half and decided to head toward Isabella Lake in search of them. Along Trappers Lake Rd we had a Snowshoe Hare hop over the crest in the road, past the car, and continue south on the road behind us. It happened so fast than none of us got a photo, but was fun to see. 

Boreal Chickadee bum

Shortly after the hare observation Clinton stopped the car and started to pish, hoping to find Boreal Chickadees in a section of Bog. The call of a Boreal Chickadee is similar to Black-capped Chickadees but scratchy and nasal in comparison. These Boreal Chickadees' calls gave away their location as soon as we stopped.

As the sun poked through the clouds it back-lit the three curious yet careful birds. Unfortunately the conditions offered terrible views but it was a lifer for both Jack and Terry none the less!

After heading north for the first four hours of the day we found the road to Isabella Lake closed for the season; our search for Spruce Grouse was unsuccessful and with no access to Isabella Lake we would have to search for Black-backed Woodpeckers in the Sax-Zim Bog tomorrow.

Being a couple hours north of Duluth we decided to head to Hwy 61 and follow the North Shore toward Grand Marais in search of reported Bohemian Waxwings. Along our trek north we found Pine Grosbeaks and Long-tailed Ducks.

  

Checking out a section of bog for boreal chickadees and scoping Good Harbor looking at long-tailed ducks.

Arriving in Grand Marais we saw a thrush shaped bird near the Harbor, but we were unsuccessful in finding it after it flew. A lone White-winged Scoter was between the docks and break wall. It was diving often and allowed me to approach closer to take photos with the larger camera rather than digiscoping.  It offered close views and was a lifer for Jack.

The strong breeze persisted throughout the day and crashed waves high into the sky along the rock shore. I stood in water taking this video and as soon as I stopped shooting it a large wave sent mist over my head. Luckily a warm car allowed my phone and binoculars to dry. Click on HD in the bottom right of the video to see icy details of the North Shore.

We spent the next couple of hours searching town for Bohemian Waxwings, but as was the case earlier in the day we were unable to locate any in the wind. For the first time in three days we stopped to sit down for lunch and warmed up. The Blue Water Cafe's food was good but the ambiance humbled me; the booth next to us had four cold-blooded surfers and the sign to the restrooms made me think.

  

Map of the day's drive and sign by the Blue Water Cafe restrooms.

Our continued search for a Black-backed Woodpecker and for a Great Gray Owl would occur the next day in Sax-Zim Bog and is the final blog post from this trip.  

Day 3 Recap of Wish List

Boreal Chickadee (Jack and Terry)

Gray Jay (Seen again but added the first day)
Pine Grosbeak (Seen again but added the first day)

White-winged Scoter (Not on the initial Wish List but added to Jack's life list)

Trip to MN: Just the two of us

During my three week visit to MN I shared many good times with family and friends, experience two great fishing trips, spend time outside taking pictures, played a round of golf with uncles, and went birding often. Birding and warblers will be the topic of a future blog post. Of all the activities, the highlight of my trip was taking a trip to the North Shore with Christine. Since the girls were born Christine and I have spent time limited time alone. This  jaunt to Lake Superior was memorable and therapeutic.

We left Friday morning for the North Shore with no destination, itinerary, or schedule. We hoped to sleep when we needed to sleep, stop for food when we were hungry, hike/walk whenever we could, and watch a movie if everything else fell through. Sunny weather on the drive taunted us to slow down and spend more time outside, as the forecast for Saturday was rain. Along the way we found a locked gate on what appeared to be through road in the MN Gazetteer. The backtrack took longer than desired and we chose to skip Rice Lake National Wildlife Refuge all together. We mixed a few short birding stops throughout the four hour trip and stopped for supper at the Duluth Buffalo Wild Wings. Many mosquitoes greeted us as we set tent at Eckbeck Campground at dusk.

Alas the weatherman was correct and rain came in the middle of the night. With no kids, no agenda, and crappy weather outside we rolled over and went back to sleep a couple of times. Sometime late morning we finally got rolling in the drizzle and faced our first and perhaps most important decision of the day. Turn south on 61 towards Duluth and go watch a matinee or turn north on 61 with no goal or specific location in mind. I'm not sure if Christine shared her decision by the time I turned north, but the risk worked out.

The gondola ride at Lutsen Mountain sounded like fun but with precipitation the views were limited so we chose to continue north. When we reached Grand Marais we walked the break wall and trails at Artist Point. Ducks, mergansers, loons, warblers, a yellow-bellied flycatcher, and many cedar waxwings joined us as we explored the trails but we did not bring cameras with in the rain.

The cool wet air gave us the chills along the break wall.

To warm up we explored town by foot, finding a Bike Shop along the path to Subway. During an hour lunch the rain subsided and we decided to grab the cameras. We returned to Artist Point in search of Cedar Waxwing photos, below are some photos from the hour long excursion.

This view north across the bay from Artist Point is now our new blog background.

Christine frames a Cedar Waxwing in the camera while 13 of them looking on in the background.

This portrait of a Cedar Waxwing is my favorite from Christine's many sharp photos.

Even though Waxwings repeated the above task often, getting a good picture proved challenging.

This eastern chipmunk had no problem being within a few feet of me.

We made bookend stops at the self proclaimed World's Best Donut Store, which we can attest is worth the stop on any visit to Grand Marais, while walking through the classic car show and a few shops in town. With the sun attempting to poke through the clouds we left with high hopes from the above photo shoot and drove south along 61. The few stops searching for waterfowl did not yield much but the lake fog was cool to see. We then hiked Oberg Mountain. With the morning rain gone, we spent the better part of three hours listening, observing, and taking photos of nature.

Black-throated Blue Warblers are not one we often see.

An American Red Squirrel came close to check out Christine.

Honeysuckle, aka Red Columbine, were one of many wildflowers.

We liked the view away from Lake Superior  the best, with Oberg lake just peeking out here.

Blessings can come in many different forms and may even be unique across individuals. The time spent on top of Oberg Mountain was a true blessing for me. Taking photos in nice weather is often fun. Having warblers calling all around usually makes me happy. But the proverbial straw that tipped the scale was seeing Christine experience pure joy and peace that only happens once in a blue moon when everything clicks. I'm not sure if it was the sun, the animals, the Cedar Waxwing photo excursion, the wildflowers, having good donuts in our belly, the birds, or my Black-throated Blue Warbler happy dance but Christine was carefree and happy.  With no time to think, put a smile on her face or turn around, or remember our burdens or worries I sneaked this first photo by calling her name. It is possible that I'm the only one that sees a difference in Christine's smile between the first and second photos below, but when you see pure joy in someone you love it warms the heart. This one experience by itself was a true blessing, trumping all else that had  preceded it during the three week visit.

Seconds after seeing a Black-throated Blue Warbler. Lake Superior is under the fog bank on the right.

The picturesque view of Oberg Lake.

I woke up frozen Sunday morning and gave Christine my sleeping bag before going outside early to listen to the various dawn chorus bird songs of the campground. We stopped for a quick hike at Tettegouche State Park and with warmer temperatures we took a longer hike at Split Rock State Park. Taking photos of birds was our goal, but I'll save those photos for  later.

The weekend away was great, allowed us to connect, and left us with many photos. One the drive back we heard how Michaela, Danielle, and Grandpa and Grandma Gold liked Shrek the Musical. That call reminded me of how blessed I am by my daughters and supportive parents, and at least for this weekend jaunt I was able to experience just the two of us.

Split Rock Lighthouse.